Winter Experience features two powerful ballets that have made an impact on dance history, Jorma Elo’s Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring), and Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon.
Jorma Elo created Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) set to Stravinsky’s iconic score for Boston Ballet in 2009. The original version of the ballet was choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky and made its groundbreaking debut in 1913 in Paris with Diaghilev’s Les Ballets Russes. It was reported to have caused riots among Parisian audiences on opening night, though the extent of this reaction has since been debated by scholars.
Like its predecessor, Elo’s Le Sacre du Printemps evoked passionate reactions from Boston audiences. Elo’s version evolves the traditional themes of ritualistic dance and showcases high energy and bold risk-taking from Boston Ballet dancers. It is set to Stravinsky’s powerful score that is known for redefining 20th-century music. The music complexities challenged established norms with its dissonant harmonies and unconventional orchestration and stands today as a landmark of musical modernism. The Boston Ballet Orchestra will perform the incredible score live.
Originally created for the Paris Opera Ballet, and performed in Boston in 2024, Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon was received with rave reviews and sold-out houses. It is a powerhouse ballet featuring 54 dancers on stage dancing in synergy as though they are one living being. Set to Max Richter’s rendition of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Pite’s choreography draws on human emotion from her own life experiences. Audiences have described the ballet as mind-blowing and like nothing they have ever seen before.
For more information, visit bostonballet.org or call 617.695.6955.